Virtual phone numbers for verification: will apps accept them?
A virtual phone number is any number you use without a SIM card of your own. Apps treat them very differently, depending on the kind of number and what they know about it.
The kinds of virtual numbers
- Internet calling numbers (VoIP), from apps like Google Voice or TextNow. They’re cheap to keep, but many apps don’t send codes to them. Ticketmaster, for one, says Google Voice and VoIP numbers can’t be used for verification.
- Public inbox numbers, shown on “receive SMS online” sites. Anyone can read their messages, and many apps block them. More in the risks of a public number.
- Private one-time numbers, like ours. Each is held for one person for a short window, so only you see the code.
How apps check a number
Before they send a code, many apps look the number up: which country it’s from, what kind of line it is, and whether it has verified too many accounts already. Each app sets its own rules and changes them over time, so a number one app accepts can be refused by another.
Why a number gets turned down
- The app doesn’t send codes to that kind of line, such as VoIP.
- The app doesn’t serve that country, or wants a local number.
- The number has verified as many accounts as the app allows, which Google limits, or it’s already on another account, which Discord checks.
What to do when it happens
With one of our numbers, cancel the order before an SMS arrives and the money goes back to your balance. Then try a number from another country, or keep Best available, which picks the country most likely to deliver for that app. If no code arrives within 20 minutes, the order is refunded to your balance automatically.
Choosing the country
Pick a country only if the app needs one, for example a service that’s only open to people who live there. Otherwise keep Best available. Every number is $1, so choosing a country saves nothing.
Whichever number you use, apps may send codes to it again later. See how to keep an account after a temporary number.